Kicking An Underdog While He's Up

TED WILLIAMS--AMERICAN HERO TORN DOWN TO SIZE

The general assumption after last week's screed was that the topic of Ted Williams was over--at least for the time being.

There was absolutely no consideration that we'd have to address the subject again.

At least, not so soon. (For anyone who missed last week's screed, feel free to scroll down to the previous entry.)

Admittedly, looming large was the unspoken thought that dear old Ted had experienced such an insanely meteoric rise, he would make like a meteor and burn up on his re-entry into the atmosphere.

But our purposes here were to (a) point out how social media is a flamethrower of a marketing tool, and (b) demonstrate the vise-grip hold broadcast radio still has on the American psyche.

What's happened since that discussion merely a week ago again demonstrates that flamethrower potential of social media. For any business that isn't careful, it sprays blazing jellied gasoline right back in one's face.

A WARTS & ALL MARKETING TOOL--AND DON'T BELIEVE FOR A SECOND THE WARTS WON'T APPEAR

We previously touched on this back in the week of December 13: any business that behaves badly can be paraded before the world for its misdeeds.

In that case, we discussed a gourmet shop whose owner had repeatedly said clever and idiotic things in emails to a customer--who posted those emails online for the world to see.

We also referred back to an auto dealer client who wanted to advertise his stellar service department--when the internet was loaded with customer-generated evidence that his service department was awful.

In the case of Ted Williams, he glowingly claimed in his YouTube video interview (courtesy of the Columbus Dispatch) that he'd been "two years sober."

Maybe.

But...

THAT SURE ISN'T THE CASE NOW, IS IT?

In the wake of what has to be six figures worth of jobs and perqs (besides his sudden work for Kraft Foods and MSNBC, the Cleveland Cavaliers have given him a house to live in while he's their arena announcer), Ted has flamed.

Perhaps not flamed out.

But the public arguments, the drinking, the arrest and the TV offensive have all done their best to tarnish what was a quite nice underdog story.

He was staying at the Renaissance Hotel in Los Angeles (presumably put there by someone responsible for one of his TV appearances).

That's where he got into an argument with one of his estranged adult daughters.

The argument was so heated, the police were called and Ted was arrested.

The reason for the argument is that his daughter was apparently trying to stop recovering alcoholic Ted, who was swigging freely from a bottle of Grey Goose vodka.

FOLLOWING THE POLICE REPORT CAME DR. PHIL...

The link to the Dr. Phil interview with Ted came to me from the same engineering tycoon who sent me the link to the original story.

(SIDEBAR: this corporate CEO was very excited to learn that he was suddenly a "tycoon." Seems he's been waiting a long time for that. I made it clear to him that I am in the tycoon-making business.)

Dr. Phil interviewed Ted's estranged daughters and ex-wife. He confronted Ted and told him he had to admit he was a drunk and go to rehab.

All on national TV, of course.

One has to imagine that Kraft, MSNBC and the Cleveland Cavaliers must all be thrilled to suddenly have their flash-in-the-pan golden child being stripped naked and paraded through the streets as something merely human and scarred.

CERTAINLY, ONE HAS TO FEEL FOR TED

This can't be fun for him. Great fortune landed in his lap, only to be followed by a great, steaming ball of misery.

With any luck, he and his new career will survive.

But again, what we're talking about here isn't so much Ted as how his example demonstrates the power of social media.

Nobody I know is watching Dr. Phil.

Everybody I know is aware of what's happened to Ted.

Because the internet has given new meaning to the idea of "immediacy."

Radio people love to talk about the "immediacy of radio." (Yes, some account reps think that means, "Sign the contract today and we'll have you on the air tomorrow." Sorry, friends. It means that radio can cover breaking news immediately in ways newspaper simply can't--not that you can willy-nilly jam a production order down the throat of an already overworked production director.)

Social media has utterly redefined the immediacy paradigm. Social media can be your greatest friend--and your worst enemy, depending on how you behave.

KEEP YOUR NOSE CLEAN, FRIENDS

If you are an advertiser or are responsible for advertisers, it's impreative to understand how social media can both build you up and tear you down in new and "interesting" ways.

That's "interesting" as in the supposed ancient Chinese curse, "May you live in interesting times."

Are you going to behave badly as a business?

There are all kinds of new ways for it to come back and bite you on your patootie.

NO LONGER IS IT MERELY "BAD WORD OF MOUTH"

Now it's bad word of mouth on the internet, available for anyone who wants to know.

I do hope Ted Williams is going to come out of this episode stronger and better.

The gourmet boutique whose owner handed a dissatisfied customer the email rope to hang him in public will survive as well.

Both men likely wish they had made smarter choices.

But the lesson to be taken away from this episode is more important than so many businesses could possibly realize.

This is also exactly why Slow Burn Marketing is now adding social media video marketing tools to its repertoire.

We do indeed live in interesting times. The business winners are going to be the ones who know how to channel "interesting" to their own benefit.

YouTube didn't kill the radio star.

It just reshaped him. And that shape, for the judicious marketer, is in the form of a cash cow.